Disposable surgical drainage pouch



Oct. 3, 1967 A. E. MARSAN DISPOSABLE SURGICAL DRAINAGE POUCH Filed May 7, 1964 I N VENTOR CZrZ/uLrEMaraczm.

United States Patent 3 344,788 DISPOSABLE SURGICAL DRAINAGE POUCH Arthur E. Marsan, Chicago, 111., assignor to Hollister, Incorporated, a corporation of Illinois Filed May 7, 1964, Ser. No. 365,756 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-283) This invention relates to surgical devices and more particularly to a post-surgical drainage pouch.

This invention is particularly concerned with an improved backing ring for use with such surgical drainage pouches. Certain abdominal surgery, such as those known as a colostomy, ileostomy, ureterostomy and the like result in an opening in the abdominal wall which permits drainage from the internal organs of the patient. Often a portion of an internal organ, such as an intestine, protrudes through the opening in the wall. The protruding portion is generally referred to as the stoma. Post-surgical drainage pouches are provided and are attached to the body adjacent the stoma to receive the fecal discharge since the patient cannot control the drainage.

Previously known drainage pouches utilized a cardboard backing member in the area about the stoma. In actual use, it was found that fecal discharge and perspiration which came into contact with the cardboard gasket would weaken the gasket. Furthermore, the relatively thin cardboard gasket posesssed a relatively sharp inner periphery which, when rubbed against the stoma, caused severe discomfort and sometimes resulted in bleeding. As a result, a plastic gasket was provided to be worn with the pouch and placed adjacent the cardboard gasket. This still was found to be unsatisfactory since in the manufacturing process, the cardboard gasket would curl slightly, resulting in a poor fit between the plastic gasket and the cardboard gasket and permitting leakage therefrom. Furthermore, the belt which held the drainage pouch to the patient was provided with clamping jaws at either end for clamping the plastic gasket to the cardboard gasket as well as securing the pouch to the patient. The clamping jaws further added to the irritation of the patient. Thus, it became desirable to provide an improved backing ring structure for these post-surgical drainage pouches.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved disposable surgical drainage pouch.

It is a general object to provide a new and improved disposable post-surgical drainage pouch having a backing ring of such a structure so as to eliminate patient discomfort and leakage of body fluids.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved disposable surgical drainage pouch having an integrally formed backing ring provided with a flange about the inner periphery of the opening in the backing ring through which the stoma is telescoped.

It is a further object to provide a new and improved disposable surgical drainage pouch having an improved backing ring thereon which has a slot at either end for button attachment to either end of a belt to secure the pouch to the body of a patient.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a new and improved disposable surgical drainage pouch having an improved integrally formed backing ring thereon wherein the backing ring is heat sealed directly to the bag portion resulting in a unitary waterproof structure which may be disposed of after a single use.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view of the abdominal section of the human torso showing a post-surgical drainage pouch held thereon in use;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the surgical pouch shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section View taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, in FIGURE 1 there is shown a post-surgical drainage pouch or bag 10 secured to the human torso 12 by means of a belt 14. The bag is provided with a novel backing member 15 of this invention and is sealed to the torso with the aid of a medicinal sealing pad or gasket 16 as disclosed in my copending application, entitled, Sealing Pad for a Post-Surgical Drainage Pouch, filed Mar. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 349,020.

The drainage pouch includes front and back panels 18 and 19, respectively, which are heat sealed about the edges thereof to form the closure, such as at the top and bottom edges 20a and 20b, respectively, and the two side edges 20c and 20d, respectively. Preferably, the pouch is made of a well known sheet-like waterproof plastic material. The back panel is provided with a centrally disposed stoma opening 22 near the top thereof about which the backing member of this invention is secured and through which the stoma is telescoped.

The backing member 15 is made of a relatively stiff, waterproof, hard material, such as a suitable plastic, and is secured to the back panel of the pouch by suitable means, such as heat sealing or the like. The backing member is similarly provided with a stoma opening 22a in registry with the bag stoma opening.

Heat sealing the backing member to the bag results in a one piece construction eliminating the cardboard gasket and producing a completely waterproof product. Gasket curl and leakage, formerly experienced, is eliminated. Since the backing ring may be so formed as an integral part of the bag, the cost of manufacture is re-. duced to such an extent as to make the pouch disposable after a single use.

It is to be noted that the opening 22a in the retainer portion is provided with an inwardly projecting circular flange 22]) which is concentric to the stoma. This flange provides a smooth surface substantially parallel to the stoma so that the slight movement or expansion and contraction of the stoma, which is normal in these conditions, will not be irritating to the patient when the stoma comes into contact with the interior of the opening 22a. Formerly, the relatively sharp thin edge of the cardboard gasket in this are-a could cause severe irritation.

The backing member has two laterally projecting cars 24 and 26, which are provided with notches at either end, such as 28 and 30, respectively. Each notch 28 and 30 is provided with an enlarged opening portion 28a and 30a, respectively and a smaller opening portion 28b and 39b, respectively. The belt is provided with end fastening portions 32 and 34, which have one flat face 32a and 34a, respectively, for positioning against the skin of a patient. The other face is provided With upstanding posts a 36 and 38, respectively, which are to be inserted through the notches of the ears of the retainer ring. The posts are provided with reduced neck portions 36a and 38a so that the posts may first be telescoped through the enlarged notched portions 28a and 30a and then moved laterally so that the reduced notch portions 28b and 30b grasp the neck portions 36a and 38a to fasten the pouch to the belt. The belt is preferably made of an elastic material to facilitate the fastening and securement of the drainage pouch to the body.

The drainage pouch of this invention is provided with a backing member having means for eliminating patient discomfort in the form of an inwardly projecting flange on the stoma opening of the backing member affording a generally fiat surf-ace concentric to the stoma which is telescoped therethrough. Further adding to patient comfort is the means employed for securing the pouch to the elastic belt including the substantially flat belt ends which are positioned against the torso of the patient to afford a smooth facial engagement therewith. Finally, the backing member and pouch are heat sealed together so that they may be formed as an integral unit at such a low cost as to make the pouch disposable after a single use. It is to be understood that while the device has been shown in use with a medicinal sealing gasket that this pouch may or may not be used with such gaskets as conditions dictate and that the gasket forms no part of this invention nor is this pouch limited for use with such a gasket.

I claim:

A post surgical pouch for receiving discharge from the stoma of a patient, comprising: an enclosed waterproof bag having an inner and outer wall with a stoma opening in the inner wall; a belt for holding the pouch on the patient; and a backing member of plastic material heat sealed to the inner wall of the pouch in the area of the stoma opening to combine with the pouch to thereby provide a unitary structure, said backing member being relatively stifi and waterproof and having an opening in registration with said pouch stoma opening, said backing member opening including an inwardly extending annular flange concentrically positioned within the stoma opening of the pouch in a position to loosely and comfortably embrace protruding portions of internal organs of a patient; and means on said backing member for connection with said belt, whereby said pouch may be supported about the body of a user without patient irritation and may be disposed of after a single use.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,928,393 3/1960 'Marsan 128--283 3,006,343 10/1961 Baxter 128-283 3,039,465 6/1962 Berger 128283 3,221,742 12/1965 Orowan 128283 FOREIGN PATENTS 563,029 9/1958 Canada.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

L. W. TRAPP, Examiner. 

